


Undercover

by nonky



Category: Castle
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 04:50:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17891813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonky/pseuds/nonky
Summary: Prompt by modestroad on LJ: Castle/Beckett, pretending is like second nature to them





	Undercover

Rick Castle worked in fiction - did very well with it until he started writing someone who seemed to seduce him off the pages of his own book. The problem was, Beckett wasn't Nikki Heat. The problem was Kate Beckett was a thousand times the woman Nikki Heat was at her most finely-characterized.

And she was hotter. He didn't even know it was possible to be hotter than his imagination until she just did it in sensible business casual outfits, living colour, three-dimensional and smelling like cherries. If she had any idea how hooked he was on her, she'd never be able to crush in crowded elevators with her breast casually on his arm.

He had kissed Kate. It was even sort of heroic, and he couldn't tell anyone, ever. To function without tripping over his own feet, Rick mostly had to repress that. That was another problem, because he made a living - a very comfortable living - on his imagination's imaginary back. He could describe the whole experience in rhyming sonnets if he wanted.

He kind of wanted to write Beckett an epic poem . . . and possibly recite it in some weird Renaissance garb. Back then, roaming charismatic men who went around finding muses were just like rock stars. Sometimes he wasn't even ashamed of himself. No problem there, as Kate would be adequately ashamed of his behaviour, as she usually was.

Rick knew his place in the precinct was secure; even if Kate kicked him out, Esposito or Ryan or the Captain would invite him back. He could hang out in the rickety visitor's chair next to someone else's desk. Despite her warnings, he didn't think she would try to get rid of him again. The problem was he belonged to her there, and everybody knew it. When Javier wanted his help with something, he came over to Beckett's desk and asked her politely to borrow Castle. No one blinked anymore at the oddity of, well, everything.

So if he tried to separate himself from temptation gracefully, it would look weird. People would think they were fighting and try to pep talk him. They would try to pry mercy from the iron grip of Beckett's moral standards. They would act overly kind, as if taking care of a pining animal who wouldn't eat while its owner was away.

Rick appreciated kindness but hated pity. He hated being awkward with Kate even more, because they had worked hard to get to a point where he could unironically call himself her partner. He was doing good work, and watching her back. They both needed that, even if it wasn't all they needed.

They laughed together really well, the gut-busters turning gradually to chuckles and the odd giggle - tapering down to a happy transition back to real life. As they laughed, Rick and Kate found each other with their eyes, making the connection. It fell away as they turned to other stuff, but it didn't break. It was wholly real, not one ounce exaggerated by his creativity.

Rick knew the rules about office romance - if he wanted to make it happen, it had to HAPPEN. Snagging Kate for himself would mean everything to him, and the risk would be worth it. But he couldn't handle the rejection if his timing was wrong, and he couldn't hang around another few years shrugging off the hurt feelings.

His imaginary problems were a somewhat shared burden, and Kate gave little sympathetic tips of smiles once in a while. When he was feeling truly achy with unrequited thoughts, she was always gentle with him. As torturous limbos went, his was plush and cozy.

The real stuff scared him half to death, and in his heart, Rick didn't feel ready to take the gamble. The problem was that however risky his imaginary courtship was, neither of them was oblivious to the real one ever looming the next time they spoke.


End file.
